Bees in My Bonnet

All the Earth, be still. Let the sun's glow cast its warmth On the desolate. Heed invitations To reflect, listen and wait: Welcome times' passing. Right here, in this space Surreal wonder awaits us If eyes are open. Open wide your eyes: See, behold beauty. Your gaze Will settle your soul. Moments filled with Grace Await the quiet Pilgrim Who journeys with hope. We long for movement, We restless ones, whose full life Has screeched to a halt. Whispers attend us. They say, "This will have to wait. All the Earth, be still."

On Friday I had the privilege of joining the 5th graders on their field trip to the Art Museum.  I say 'privilege' though taking my day to go be with a bunch of kids wandering around nice pictures isn't generally my cup of tea.  I relish time away from people, and don't gravitate towards large groups of people.  That said, I do want my kids to know that I took time to be with them on days when I could, and that I entered their experiences, even if I find it a bit exhausting.  This is the introvert me talking.  There were so many things I picked up on by wandering around art, and some were quite profound.  I didn't expect to encounter so many life-truths on a grade-school field trip. We started in the impressionist department, and observed the art.  I am not one who has a deep appreciation for visual art.  I think, 'Hmm, nice painting.' And then move on.  As a side note, it is such a joy to watch the kids gaze on these historic, classic wor...

People are like flowers Dotting an otherwise monochrome plateau;  A landscape predictable and bare - A horizon flat, uninterrupted.  Daisy, tulip, iris, snapdragon: Bright or mute, Unordinary or plain,  Invite the eye - They seem to say,  "Do you see me?  Do you really see?  I splash color I raise my head I call for your gaze  To rest on my beauty. From afar you see only my brightness; Up close,  my delicate, intricate detail - My unique design." People, delightful and diverse,  Dot life's landscape Intersecting doldrums Painting days  Splash hues bold or discreet Blends never known to exist Winning my gaze,  Allowing my eye to rest On those whose invitation - Clear as a sunflower against  A crisp, cloudless sky - Speaks unabashed: "Look at me.  See me.  Really see.  I welcome your unrestrained awe."

So, yesterday I posted about the kind of interactions I sometimes have regarding the state of affairs, especially regarding clutter in our home. (If you missed part 1,  click  Here ) It didn't end there. Like I said, I do need a Lot of help and thankfully Jena came to my rescue. Not only did she write the funny response - but she was as much a friend in deed (out deeds, depending), to meet me in my need. Today I am reminded though that Sam also came to my rescue, as it was a relative of his, he felt the need to also respond. As I look back at that, I am again so very thankful for the loving man God dropped in my lap (well, more like, in my house, but that's a long story you can read about  Here ). Here is how he addressed this situation (this is long, but I put it here with only minor edits that may be too personal, because I think his words are worth sharing with a broader audience - we are surely not the only couple to struggle with household order!): Dear --...

Today I am grateful for my mother-in-law, Lois Logan. Here is why:  She came to live with us 8 years ago, and even though she is legally blind, and has occasional other challenges, she has faithfully helped in our home, especially in kitchen cleanup and setting the table. When Andrew and Hannah were babies, she welcomed them to her bedroom when they were a nuisance in the night.  Often she would deliver them to me for night feedings and retrieve them so I could get better rest. She is an amazing woman.  She rarely complains about anything - is probably one of the most contented people I've ever known.  She is happy despite her many limitations.   She was born in Lucknow, India and later lived in Karachi before the formation of what is now Pakistan.  Later she moved to South Africa with her parents to complete her nurses training.  She studied at Emmaus Bible College, which was at the time in Oak Park, Illinois near Chicago.  S...

I had a rough morning...Hannah's one and only school dress was no-where to be found.  I had stayed up late doing extra laundry in case it was in there, and couldn't find it.  I didn't want to dig around in the room where they were sleeping so it needed to wait until this morning (yes, you can point out I should have thought of this before they were in bed, but I was focussed on getting them to bed!  Of course you could point out that I could have thought of this before the bedtime routine!  But I was trying to get supper on!  And you could point out I could have thought of this before supper prep, but...okay, you win). So this morning I look high and low.  I search everywhere.  I look under her bed three times!  I look under everything!  Couches, beds, hidden corners, dressers, cubbies, nooks - you name it, I looked.  I prayed - out loud, "Lord, please help us find Hannah's dress!"  I hear the thoughts in my head (could it be div...

I just want to put this out there: Yesterday we (Sam, Caleb -16, Priscilla -14, Timo -10, Andrew -8, and Hannah -5) went to a creek and decided to build a small dam. Some carried big rocks, some small, some added handfuls of pebbles. One huge rock or a handful of small rocks did not build it or even hardly make a dent in it. But each tiny addition added to the success of building it. With many additions you could see small, incremental changes in the flow of water. For it to be really effective, we had to have a lot of tiny little stones, pebbles and sand. I reflected that this is a lot like life and progress. We could have left the stream alone and done nothing. But we decided to change it. We used muscle, effort, creativity and intelligence to bring about change - to create beauty, sound effects, and to marvel at our own power and work. Every small discovery, effort of big movement in a new direction can create a change in the course and flow of our lives. I was encouraged to see t...

Pardon the poetry these days.  Sometimes it just spills out here and there.  Words emerge in mingled masses until I throw them on a scrap of paper, only to be lost somewhere along the way.  Here and there I may get them into this blog, for a more permanent chronicle of the gazillion thoughts that I think.  This one is mostly thoughts I am telling myself.  Am I the only one who talks to myself?  Hope not! Re- Re- tell, Re- write, Re- alize. Re-engage, Re-turn -  A turning again to what once was, that might have missed its place -  the place of significance, of priority, of impetus on your journey. Re-think, Re-new, Re-birth: Because these all flow,  each from the other. Re-open - open your eyes to see what has been there, but you never dared to see.   See reality.  See yourself.  See the love you haven't held. Re-visit - the things you tossed aside as useless - Gifts of heritage and faith...

Sometimes I am uninspired to write.  And then I discover (or re-discover) the joy of Haiku.  So I wrote three today.  Here they are! ********************************************** Never be settled Immune to the Voice of God His song is your joy. ********************************************* Bitter, cold winter Invites reflection inside Soul-work not quite done. ********************************************** Being and Longing Meet each other and rejoice. Married, they Belong. *********************************************

I'm not going to address the fact that there are those who deny the existence of a psychological condition called 'Attention Deficit' (I left off 'Disorder' on purpose).  If you need evidence just videotape my life for a while and then make your decision! Regardless of where you stand, I have become quite familiar with this territory and figure it might be helpful for others to glean from my experience.  Here are 12 tips for Moms with A.D.D.   If you need help understanding your child with A.D.D. I'd be happy to answer your questions from my own experience and memory of being a child with A.D.D.  Yes, putting two-and-two together - that means you don't grow out of it or recover - it is a lifelong personality style.   Everyone has some hiccups in their personality - things that don't fit with the majority culture - nuances that might make life difficult for us or others.  A.D.D. just happens to be one of those types of things.  Learning our struggles...

Dear Wives Who Might Come Across This Blog, I am no expert in marriage or relational harmony.  I only know what I've seen and experienced.  I observe others, I slog through life with it's ups and downs.  I struggle like the rest of the world.  But there is one thing I am dedicated to giving my husband.  Year in and year out I have one primary goal - a basic gift I want to be a foundational experience for our marriage, and by extension, our home.  I want my sons and daughters to grow up observing me give this gift.  I want this to be understood as basic - as a no-brainer.  But it is something I think may be lacking in the lives of many. I haven't always succeeded in giving it.  I haven't been totally virtuous and uncomplaining.  But I want to put this out there because you may have missed it.  And I'll bet your husband has missed it.  Just ask him.  Or better yet, make him out a note or a cute card or some such thing a...

It's a buzz phrase these days: Intentional .  It sounds so...purposeful, determined, self-directed, controlled. Sounds almost too good to be true. Let me just put this out there.  I am intentional about a very few things in my life. And the rest, well, I like to leave the door wide open for the spontaneous.  Don't get me wrong - this can be problematic too.  Because I want to allow room for people who come along who weren't on my to-do list (if I really had one, which I don't usually). I'd like to be intentional about so much, but I just don't seem to have that gift .  I do think it must be a gift.  It is a gift given to the driven, type A - and well, I'm just a type B, or C or maybe a Q or X or Z.  Haven't figured that out yet, and being a non-type A, I may just never get around to typing myself into a category.  Which is really okay, because who has time to stare inward - navel-gazing, I call it - ad nauseum figuring out where I really ...

I write off and on about contentment because the lack of it irritates me in others so frequently and there's no better fuel for a writer's fire than negative traits in others!  (Dear friends of mine, please know, I don't judge you or see discontent in your life...) I just had to field a comment that went like this, "Well, it does seem that you could use more space in your kitchen."  This, after I didn't have a good answer for "Where do I put this?"  These types of comments drive me nuts.  They require composure and a tight lip.  We went through a long process of looking for a house that would meet our needs - NEEDS - mind you - not wants .  And yet I know full well that our needs would be met in a house half this size or with a miniscule kitchen - because what we need and what we think  we need are really two different things.  But I digress.  My response (cool, calm and collected, by the way - congratulations welcome in the comment sectio...